The present invention relates to exercise equipment and more particularly, to weight selection methods and apparatus suitable for use in connection with exercise dumbbells.
Various weight selection methods and apparatus have been developed to provide adjustable resistance to exercise. In the case of free weights, for example, weight plates are typically mounted on opposite ends of a bar. In relatively advanced systems, the bar is stored in proximity to the weight plates, and a selection mechanism is provided to connect a desired amount of weight to the bar. Some examples of patented barbell/dumbbell improvements and/or features are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,463 to shields (discloses a dumbbell assembly having opposite side weights which are maintained in alignment on a base and selectively connected to a handle by means of cam driven pins on the weights); U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,198 to Hettick, Jr. (discloses a barbell assembly having opposite side weights which are maintained in alignment on respective storage members and selectively connected to a handle by means of axially movable springs); U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,034 to Shields (discloses both barbell and dumbbell assemblies having opposite side weights which are maintained in alignment on a shelf and selectively connected to a handle by means of latches on the weights); U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,762 to Towley, III et al. (discloses a dumbbell assembly having a plurality of interconnected opposite side weights which are stored in nested relationship to one another and selectively connected to a handle by various means); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,997 to Roth et al. (discloses a dumbbell assembly having opposite side weights which are maintained in alignment on a base and selectively connected to a handle by means of eccentric cams on a rotating selector rod. Despite these advances and others in the field of weight selection, room for improvement remains.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide dedicated weight selecting members that are rotatable into engagement with respective weight plates to provide adjustable resistance to exercise. In a preferred application, each weight selecting member is rotatably mounted on a common bar and separately rotatable relative to the bar and its respective weight. The bar has a longitudinal axis and is selectively movable in a radial direction into and out of alignment with a weight plate holder. Many features and/or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the more detailed description that follows.